Tekritoby



(No Model.) J. HENRY.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN METER.

Patented July 24, 1888.

NVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

\Q 5 M m 00 m 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HENRY, OF ARDOCH, DAKOTA TERRITORY.

AUTC'MATiC GRAIN METER.

.EiPHCIFICAT-ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386.7%5, dated July 24, 1888.

Application filed October 26, 1857. Serial No. 2:53.413.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HENRY, of Ardoch, in the county of \Valsh and Territory of Dakota, have invented a new and Improved Automatic GraixrWeigher, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to grain-weighers, and has for its object to provide a simple, easilyhandled, and effective apparatus of this char acter, which, in connection with an elevator, will take the grain directly from the graiirwell ofa thrashinganaehine and weigh it, register the weight, and discharge it into vehicles for delivery, the work being accomplished automatieally, thereby saving time and labor.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations ofparts of the apparatus, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is an elevation of my improved grain-weighing apparatus, showing it in connection with parts of a grain-elevator and adjustable discharge-chute, the elevator hood or top being partly broken away to show the construction more clearly. Fig. 2 is an elevation ofthe weigher, elevator, and chute,viewing the parts at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe elevator with its top cover and end less chain of buckets removed, and isintended more particularly to illustrate the construe tion ot'the elevator dischargespout. Fig. t is a vertical section taken through the elevator head and spout and on the line :0 a, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one form of partition-plate adapted to the elevator-spout to secure even distribution or fall ofgrain to the tilting hopper of the weigher, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of one ofthe inclined bottom boards oft-he delivery-spoutofthe elevator as arranged when the lateral fin or extension of the partition-plate is not used.

The hopper A, into which the grain-box B discharges is fixed to the outer leg, 0, of an elevator, ii, which is supposed to be connected to the frame of a. thrashiug-machiue in a manner to raise the freshly-thrashed grain and deliver it through the elevatorspout D into the grain-box B. The hopper A has further support (No model.)

from the elevator by metal straps or plates (0 a, fixed to the outer side or wall of the hopper and to the elevator-spout. The grain-box B is supported by aligned shafts I) I), fixed to its opposite ends on the inner forked end or part of a weighbeam, E, which is fulcrumed on or in suitable arms or supports, a a, fixed to the hopper A, and on its outer part or arm, 0, the beam carries a weight, F, to measure or control the amount of grain filled into the box B prior to each tilting and discharge of the box. The arm 6 finds guidance and a restin the up per forked end, 9, of a bracket, G, fixed to the hopper A.

The pivot-shafts Z) If are lixed to the grainbox at points behind and below the center of gravity of the box, whereby when the box is released from its latch or catch dcviee,as pres ently explained, said box will automatically tilt at its nose or discharge edge 1') in the direction of the arrow Z in Fig. 1 of the draw ings, and discharge its contents into the hop per A, whence the grain falls into a deliverychute, H, which is held to the hopper by means of an eye, it, on the chute engaging a hook, it, on the hopper. There is a hook, h, on each end of the hopper, allowing the chute H to be connected to either hook to direct the nose or lower end of the chute to discharge at either the right or left hand, as may be most con venient, to load the weighed grain into a cart or bin. The chute H is shown in both positions by the full and dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings.

A rod, 1, connected to a crank-arm, i, on the shaft Z) of the grain-box, is connected to suitable mechanism of a tally device, J, fixed to the elevator-leg e or the hopper A, or both, whereby each time the graiubox is tilted the tally will register the grain discharged, and in a manner common with apparatus of this character. To the other shaft, 1), of the grainbox is connected an arm or bar, K, which swings as the box turns, and carries a weight, It, held,preferably,by a set'screw. By adjusting the weight 7.: on the arm R the pivoted grain-box may be overbalauccd by the arm in a manner to bring the box back into normal latched position after each tilting of the box to discharge its load and without undue jar or shock to the parts.

I describe the grain cut-off and grain-box latch devices as follows: The delivery end or mouth of the elevator-spout D is rounded in the arc of a circle struck from the pivots Z of the cut-off L, which at its bent end portions is held by the pins or pivots Z to the spout D, and by its curved main portion or body is adapted to close the spout to cut off the flow of grain therefrom to the grain-box B. To the cutoff L there is fixed a bent arm, M, which is adapted to be swung upward by an arm, N, fixed to the grain-box to open the spout for delivery of grain to the box, each time the empty box is swung or turned upward by the gravity ofthe weighted arm K above described. When the box is released from its latch device and tilts for discharging its contents, the arm N leaves the cut-offarm M and allows the cutoff to fall or swing down by its gravity to stop discharge of grain from'the spout.

The latch device consists of an elastic or spring-pressed latch-bar, O, which is held at one end to the elevator-spout D, and is provided at or near its other end with a notch, 0, into which the upper end of an arm, P, fixed to the grain-box B, is adapted to enter, as

shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. A bar or plate, It, fixed at one end to the spout D, extends below the free end of the latch to support it in proper position to engage the grainbox arm P, and when the arm engages the latch it lifts it a little above the support B, so that during the first part of the tilting movement of the grain'box the latch-bar will follow the arm a little distance before the latch comes to a rest on the support, thus giving the grainbox a start in overbalancing without undue friction orjar of the parts.

It is obvious that when the weight of grain in the box B is sufficient to overbalance the weight F on the beam E the arm P will fall from the notch 0 of the latch 0, thus freeing the box, which will then automatically tilt to discharge its load into the hopper A and chute H, and as the box empties the weighted arm K, which had been swung about to a horizontal position by the tilting forward of the box, will swing or turn the box back again, and the arm P will again be engaged by the latch-bar O to lock the box in position to re ceive its next load of grain. As the box had tilted forward for dischargingits contents,the cutoff L had closed the spout D, and as the box had about resumed its normal latched position, the box-arm N had, by action on the cut-off arm M, raised the cut-ofl to open the spout to deliver grain to the box, the entire operation being very simple and effective and wholly automatic.

It is desirable in apparatus of this character to have a steady or evenly-distributed flow of the grain from the elevator-spout to the grainweighing box, and to secure this I have fitted the spout with partitions, as next described.

As the grain is discharged from the buckets at the top of the elevator-leg c it falls upon an inclined floor or plate, S, and thence upon a lower inclined ledge or plate, T, which joins the left-hand side of the spout D and extends toward the right-hand about half-way across the spout and delivers some of the falling grain onto a lower inclined plate or floor, U, which joins the righthand wall of the spout and extends toward the left hand about to the center of the spout. The plates T U thus incline or range in opposite directions and are at right angles to the inclined plate S, all as most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. of the drawings. In the spout D is fitted a plate, V, which is preferably bent into right-angular general form, so that when in place its longer part, 1;, fits down upon the lower inclined plate, U, of the spout, and its shorter part, 0, forms a wall which divides the grain flowing down the inclined plate S into two streams, one of which falls inside the angular partition-plate V directly onto the lower inclined plate, U, while the other stream falls onto the upper plate, '1, and thence onto the lower plate, U. The part c of the plate V may extend downward to the front or outer edge of the plate T; but this would leave an angle or break in the slanting surfaces, onto or into which the grain would lodge, and to avoid this and secure free flow of all the grain discharged from the elevator l purpose either to fit a block, t, onto the plate T or to provide an inclined angular fin or extension, '1)", on the plate V, either of which parts, to, will form a practical continuation of the inclined plate S to a point next the side or part c of the plate V,.or where the grain falls from the plate '1 onto the lower plate, U, next the corner of the partition V, as will be clearly understood from the drawings.

It is obvious that the grain from the elevator, when divided into two downflowing streams by the partition V, will pass quite evenly into the grain-box B and facilitate the correct weighing of the grain and easy tilting movement of the box in discharging the grain.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in an automatic grainweigher, of a hopper, A, a weigh-beam, E, fulcrumed thereon, a grain-box,' B, journaled on the weigh-beam at a point below and behind the center of gravity of the box, and a weighted arm, K, held to the grain-box or its shaft and operating to return the box to normal upright position after each tilting of it to discharge its contents, and a tally device con- IIO nected with the shaft of the box, substantially as herein set forth.

' 2. The combination, in an automatic grainweigher, of a hopper, A, a weigh beam, E, fulcrumed thereon, a grain-box, B, journaled on the weigh beam at a point below and behind the center of gravity of the box, a weight ed arm, K, held to the grain-box or its shaft and operating to return the box to normal position after each tilting of it to discharge its contents, a latch-bar, 0, held to a relativelyfixed support and notched at 0, and an arm, P, on the grain-box, which is engaged by the latch-bar as the box resumes normal upright position, and the-support R on the elevatorspout below the free end of said latch -bar, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, in an automatic grainweigher, with a hopper, A, a Weigh-beam, E, fuloruined thereon, a bracket, G, fixed to the hopper and having forked upper end, g, forming aguide and rest for the arm 6 of said beam, a tilting grain-box, B, journaled on the weighbeam, and a spout discharging grain or other material into the box, ofa cut-off, L, fitted to the spout and provided with an arm, M, and an arm, N, on the grainbox, substantially as shown and described, whereby the cut-oft will be operated to open the discharge-spout as the grain-box resumes normal upright position, and the spout will be closed as the grain-box tilts for discharge, as herein set forth.

4. The combination, in an automatic grain weigher, of a hopper, A, a Weigh -beam, E,

fulcrnmed thereon, a tilting grain box, B, journaled on the weigh-beam, a Weighted arm, K, held to the boX and returning it to normal position, a spout discharging into the box, a latch-bar, 0, held to a relatively-fixed support and notched at 0, an arm, P, on the grain-box, adapted for engagement by the latch, a cutofl, L, fitted to the discharge-spout and provided with an arm, M, and an arm, N, on the grain-box, all arranged for opcration-substan' tially as described, for the purposes set forth.

5. In a grain-Weighing apparatus, the eombination, with the spout delivering into the Weighing-box, of reversely-inclined plates '1 U and an angular partition, V, arranged to divide the flowing grain to discharge it evenly to the grain box, substantially as herein set forth.

6. In a grain-Weighing apparatus, the C0111 bination, with the spout D, of reversely-arranged inclined plates '1 U, a partition, V, and a filling-piece, as t or '0 arranged at the angle or corner between the parts V T, substantially as herein set forth.

7. In a grain-weighing apparatus, the combination, with the weighing-box and the spout delivering into said box, of the inclined plate S, the inclined plate T at right angles thereto, the reverselyinclined plate U, and the angular partition V in the elevatorspout, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN HENRY.

Vitnesses:

XV. T. SHEPPARD,

Guns. JACOBSON. 

